2018 Is Shaping Up To Be Nintendo’s Year

The very recent Nintendo Direct shows that Nintendo is going to pull out all of the stops this year. For those of you who have seen it, then you should know some of the reasons as to why 2018 is looking pretty good for the company.

Not to say that it’ll completely dominate the market as both Sony and Microsoft are looking forward to releasing their own slew of amazing games; It will give them a huge run for their money though.

So why is it looking really good for Nintendo? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that will help enlighten everyone.

Innovation

Nintendo has always been one that takes risks in trying out different ways of making games fun and enjoyable. They were the ones who introduced the Wii back in 2006 and brought about the rise of motion control gaming. In 2011, they gave us the Nintendo 3DS; A handheld which had gyro controls and the ability to switch between 2D and 3D visuals at any time. While the WiiU may have been Nintendo’s biggest flop, it was still an innovative piece of hardware back in 2012 with its main controller acting as a touchpad and 2nd screen. And of course, we can’t forget about the Switch; a console/handheld hybrid that was released back in 2017 that took portable, home-based, and multiplayer gaming to a whole new level.

This coming April, Nintendo is shaping up (heh, get it?) the release of the Labo, a gaming and construction toy platform that’s’ meant to be used as an extension for the Nintendo Switch’s gaming capabilities. In simple terms, it’s cardboard which you change into different things to match certain games you’ll be playing. While the concept might sound… childish, it’s still very interesting to see how the company will play this out as it looks very promising in terms of bringing out the creative side of Switch owners.

With prices like $69.99 for a variety kit and $79.99 for a robot kit, this better not fail or it’ll be marked as another one of the company’s biggest blunders.

Upcoming First Party Game Updates, and Ports

There were a ton of first party games that the WiiU had which were extraordinary but didn’t sell that well due to the console’s poor sales performance. Nintendo has taken the leap of taking those games and transferring them over to the Switch; making them look and perform better in the process. A good example being Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker as shown via the recent Nintendo Direct.

The Nintendo 3Ds is also getting some love as it’s receiving both ports of Luigi’s mansion and Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (the game receiving an additional story mode called Bowser Jr’s Journey); two of the biggest games in Nintendo’s library.

Also, it looks as if the company is planning to rev up their competitive play as they’re handing over updates and DLC for Splatoon 2, as well as holding an open online tournament (Within the US & Canada only) for their hit game ARMS. This should really get the blood pumping for those who have the games and are trying to show that they’re the best.

More Third Party Games

If you have or had a WiiU, then you know just how much the system didn’t catch on with everyone else. One of the biggest reasons for this is because of the huge lack of third-party support.

With the Switch, that problem is a thing of the past.

More and more gaming developers have locked their eyes on the console and are porting some of the best games that the industry has to offer. The fact that Skyrim, Doom and even Payday 2 is proof enough that the Switch is doing very well for itself this year; it’s also a good sign that shows Nintendo being more open to titles that aren’t exactly family friendly.

The recent Nintendo Direct proves this further by giving us a glimpse of Undertale, Okami HD, Little Nightmares: Complete Edition, South Park: The Fractured But Whole (Yep, SOUTH PARK), The remastered Dark Souls and even the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane trilogy coming to the system!

If that isn’t enough to convince you, then there’s one more reason that should help convince why Nintendo is gearing up to make 2018 their year.

Super Smash Bros 5

The fighting game that just about every die-hard Nintendo fan knows and loves is coming to the Switch. The recent reveal has confirmed that it’ll be released around sometime this year and just about everyone and their grandma is overjoyed and excited.

Imagine a game where you can play as Mario and you get to beat the ever living heck out of Link, Samus, or even his beloved Princess Peach!…Sounds awesome right?!

This deserves a section of its own is because it proves to have the most potential out of all the other games; as well being the one that every Switch owner is hungry for.

The fact that you can bring it on-the-go and play with an extra person due to the Switch’s removable joy-cons is already a big plus, but the main reason why everyone can’t wait for the game is all the possible new characters that will be added to the roster.

Nintendo opening their doors to third-party developers means that there’s a huge chance you’ll see characters in Smash 5 that you would have never expected!

It was already a big shocker that we were able to play as Sonic, Sega’s signature blue mascot and Mario’s biggest rival, in Super Smash Bros Brawl and Cloud from Final Fantasy in Super Smash Bros 4; just think of all the other possibilities! For instance, since Crash Bandicoot has been announced for the Switch, it could mean that he might just make an appearance in the game!

And a new title in the franchise means new stages. Wouldn’t you want to duke it out on the shiny metropolis of New Donk City? Or how about the grassy fields within Breath of the Wild? There might even be a chance that you’ll be duking it out in the fiery pits of the devil’s playground (assuming that Nintendo considers adding a particular level of Doom to one of Smash 5’s stages…..Hey! You’ll never know!).

So there you have it, a number of reasons why it looks like Nintendo is looking to take 2018 by storm. If you think there are other reasons as to how they could do it or why they won’t make so much as a dent in the industry this year, then leave a comment below!